Updated August 19: The giveaway for Innovation Forum Leaders Conference tickets is now closed and the winners have received their free tickets.
However, if you didn’t win, I have some good news: we have a discount code that can reduce the cost of your tickets by 25 percent. To use the code, simply add a conference ticket (or two) to your basket and then use the code ARSTECHNICA_IF2016.
Ars Technica will be present at the conference; if you’re there, let us know and we’ll try to bring in a drink. The conference, which is in Cambridge, is September 21-22.
Original story
If you’re a scientist, engineer, student, financier or decision-maker, one of the most nerdy, low-level, yet open-access conferences to attend this year is the Innovation Forum Leaders Conference in Cambridge – and we’ve got some free tickets ( worth €150 each) to give away!
Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of the Innovation Forum: it’s only three years old, but it’s growing fast. We first heard about them last year when one of their emissaries came along to an Ars Technica meeting. I attended some of their smaller events in London and was impressed: the events weren’t light-hearted, but they weren’t too academic either, and I learned a lot of interesting things as a result. One thing led to another and now Ars Technica is a media partner for the Leaders Conference taking place in Cambridge on 21 and 22 September.
This year’s Leaders Conference focuses primarily on the latest innovations in cleantech and biotech, and then some “executive panels” discussing the financial opportunities offered by both spheres. Speakers span the spectrum, from the head of R&D at GlaxoSmithKline, to the CEO of Congenica (a big data genetic diagnosis company), to researchers working on the latest biomedical devices, to partners of major venture capital firms.
In addition to the speakers, there will also be plenty of networking time and a gala dinner. Intriguingly, one of the Innovation Forum’s USPs is that they guarantee a 1:1 ratio of visitors from industry and academia, so wherever you are on the spectrum, you shouldn’t be swamped or drowned out. Ultimately, the aim of the Innovation Forum is to connect researchers and start-ups with industry and financial partners. (The Innovation Forum is a not-for-profit organization originally founded by academics in the UK, but now has offices at various institutions around the world.)
Anyway, if you want to attend the conference, enter the Innovation Forum ticket giveaway. Some conditions apply. The tickets are worth a maximum of €150. The giveaway closes next week, at the end of July 27. You must provide your email address so that we can send you your tickets, but we will not use it for marketing purposes (unless you explicitly opt-in).
If you don’t win, don’t be too sad: Ars will be at the event in September to report on some of the more interesting talks.